A fire broke out in the attic of a four-unit, two-story block of condominiums at Ocean Park Villas North in Flagler Beach just before 2 p.m. today. The fire rapidly spread across the block in northerly and westerly directions, demolishing the block by 3 p.m. as Flagler Beach firefighters, assisted by several units from other […]
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Taylor’s Journal: Day Three
The Envelope, Please
In her final post from the international competition in Wisconsin, Taylor Tofal recounts an awards ceremony featuring many wins for FPC and Matanzas.
Illegal for 4 Years, Palm Coast’s Red-Light Cameras to Comply With State Law; Cash Dips
State law removes the red-light cameras’ cash-cow incentive and forces cities to abide by uniform state standards.
Allegations of Racist Slurs and Excessive Force Land Flagler Beach Police Officer in Jail
Robert Milstead is accused of using excessive force on an elderly man and pepper-spraying him and another individual when both were handcuffed.
Car Flips on I-95, Causing 3rd Fatality in 3 Days on Flagler Roads
The wreck just before the Matanzas overpass caused the third fatality in three days on Flagler County roads.
Flagler Libraries Avoid Service Cuts; Expansion of Community Space and Café Planned
Retirements and cost-savings enable Flagler’s library system to save more than $100,000, keep the same hours in 2010-11 and 18 people employed, and plan for a modest expansion.
Citing School Board Flux, Conklin Opts Out of Taking on Thrasher Or Others Until 2012
Her eyes set on higher office in 2012, School Board member Colleen Conklin said she came close to running against John Thrasher but will let a Duval Democrat take him on.
2 Women, Both 19, Killed in Single-Truck Flip on US 1’s “Triple-A Curve,” 1 Man Injured
The young people, from Ormond Beach, were returning from the beach and carried evidence of a party. None wore seat-belts.
How the Oil Slick Is Fouling Florida’s Government Budgets–And What To Do About It
The oil spill is Florida’s 9/11. People won’t die. A way of life will. The Florida Legislature should be in crisis mode, not in recess, anticipating what to do next.
Taylor’s Journal, Day Two:
Skits, Robots and Heels
A day’s frenetic wall-to-wall activity, and one team learns that it didn’t make it to the final round. Taylor Tofal is almost live in Lacrosse, Wis.
Taylor’s Journal:
FPC’s Problem Solvers in Their Own
World Cup in Wisconsin
FPC’s history-making Community Problem Solvers teams are in their own world finals competition in Wisconsin, June 9-13. Taylor Tofal’s journal gives us an inside look.
Flagler Beach Police Get 3-Year Contract, No Raises
The 10 percent-a-year raises of the police rank and file’s previous contract give way to realities of shrinking government budgets and stingy taxpayers.
Flagler Crowns Its Nascent
Entertainers of the Year
Sophia Paterno Peper is Flagler’s Youth Entertainer of the Year in the junior division, Caitlin Hanna, Zack Harris and Jeff McDevitt took senior honor.
Mica: Bunnell Still Has “Fighting Chance” for a Train Station; Data and State’s Will Are Key
In an interview with FlaglerLive, John Mica outlines what Bunnell has going for and against it as it angles for a train station.
Crime Reports, June 7-13
They tried to rip an ATM machine off its concrete casing. They failed. But not without causing $35,000 in damages the bank will have to absorb.
Old Courthouse Revival Plans Die with Sheriff’s No-Show
The sheriff pulls out of an arrangement that would have filled the old courthouse with his offices, the Bunnell city administration and a library.
Palm Coast Muscles Closer to $10 Million City Hall Through Financial Ploys
City administrator Jim Landon corralled the council to his vision of a new city hall, with a 2012 move-in date.
Black Masonic Cemetery “Re-Dedicated”; Future Maintenance Still in Question
The historic cemetery was restored as part of the Old Kings Road widening project, with hopes of ensuring its future as a historic landmark.
House-Hunting Bunnell Hopes for an End to Old Courthouse Feuds Tonight
Absent a miracle with the old Flagler County Courthouse, the Bunnell city administration may have no home it can call its own for a few more years yet.
Holland Fails in Move to Fire County Administrator Coffey; He Gets 1 More Year
County Commissioner Milissa Holland leveled a withering attack on Administrator Craig Coffey’s record, but she got little support from a majority of commissioners.
County Administrator Craig Coffey’s Consent Problem
Against commission direction, County administrator Craig Coffee placed his contract renegotiation on a portion of the agenda that doesn’t usually get discussed.
Marineland Mobilizes Against BP Oil Spill — and Beyond
Florida has no contingency plan if dolphins, turtles and manatees begin showing up coated in oil. Marineland’s Jim Jacoby wants to fix a blind spot in planning dating back to two Jeb Bush vetoes in 2000 and 2001.
Steeling It Up at the Caribbean Festival (Parking Grinches Aside)
The two-day festival, running through Sunday, is a celebration of the senses in music, food and dance. Bring empty stomachs and open ears.
What’s the State of Ecumenism in Flagler (And What on Earth is Ecumenism Anyway)?
Saturday evening’s music and fellowship program at Santa Maria del Mar brings together six churches and five denominations in a historic display of unity in Flagler County.
Flagler Paramedics Take 2nd and 14th Place in Czech Competition
Flagler’s paramedics competed against 10 countries and 23 teams. Photo gallery included.
Palm Coast Replaces Tired Fire Truck With $374,000 Model
The new fire truck, part of the city fire department’s fleet of 14 vehicles, will burn fuel more cleanly and replaces a model that had logged 169,000 miles since 1995.
Crime Reports, May 31 – June 6
Two men break into a local bar but get nothing, a stolen car is found stripped, a man with chicken and beef in his pants, and more.
Class-Size Limits: How Flagler Schools Are Scrambling to Fit in Costly Strait-Jacket
The Flagler school district will spend upwards of $600,000 (to start) to comply with constitutionally required class-size reductions that have no appreciable effect on quality education.
Palm Coast: Best Place to Retire Or
Real Estate Hell? Take Your Pick
One publication declares Palm Coast real estate gold for retirees, another declares Palm Coast a lost cause for home prices.
Attention Flagler Beach: The County Isn’t Looking to Devour Your Fire Department
Sometime over the weekend a rumor started spreading like fog around Flagler Beach that the county was going to take over the Flagler Beach Fire Department. It was false.
County Administrator Craig Coffey Wants More Job Security
Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey fears being fired without severance when his contract runs out this fall.
Tax-Averse Parents Send Per-Student Spending Tumbling in Flagler Schools
Per-student funding has risen and fallen over the year, but today it’s identical to what it was in 1996, even as the student population, academic expectations and administrative burdens have multiplied.
Taxable Property Values Plummet a Record 20%; Dire Numbers for Local Governments
The drop is the steepest of the last three years. Some $5 billion in taxable values have been wiped out since 2007.
Brain Drain: School Board Retires 36 (and 745 Years of Experience)
Some of the school district’s most familiar names took their last bows Tuesday, including Michele Crosby, Hanneke Jevons, Myra Middleton and Rebecca Dunn.
Rachael Kopec Withdraws from School Board Race
Kopec says she was not ready for the glare, the politics and the time commitment away from her family.
FPC Does ESPN: Sports’ Video Year in Review
Three FPC students distilled a year’s worth of 19 school sports into a 30-minute highlight video. Here it is.
Matanzas’ 318 Senior Pirates Sail Past Commencement
A first for hundreds, and end for a few: The 2010 graduation ceremony in St. Augustine was a blend of heat, Frost and overwhelming emotions.
Photo Gallery: Matanzas High School Class of 2010
A 38-image gallery of Matanzas’s third graduating class, with the full David Sequence.
Mentors
Marking successes over struggles, 54 students and 30 mentors were honored at the 3rd annual African American Mentor Program’s banquet Friday.
Old Courthouse Plans Collapse; Holland Charges County Administrator “Railroaded” Her
A meeting on what to do with the old Flagler County Courthouse turned into a bitter clash between Commissioner Milissa Holland and County Administrator Craig Coffey.
3rd Grade FCAT Scores Well Above State Average; 11% Fail; Charter School Lags
The district’s overall score dropped 3 points in reading and improved one point in math. Heritage Academy is a drag.
Table: Complete 2010 FCAT Scores By School, Flagler 3rd Graders
School-by-school achievements in math and reading by proficiency level, including 2009 comparisons.
Who has Dibs on This Old Thing?
(Hint: Sheriff Not Too Interested)
Three years on, the Flagler County Commission is still trying to decide what to do with the old courthouse, with Bunnell and the Sheriff at the top of the list of possibilities.
Youth Orchestra’s 200 Take a Bow in Year’s Final Concert
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s musicians, under the new direction of Caren Umbarger, dedicate the final concert to Superintendent Bill Delbrugge.
Crime Reports, May 24-30
A suicide thwarted, a home health aid accused of having sticky fingers, a mom unaware that her teens are stealing while she shops, and more.
Bloody Head and Assault Charge Following Bowling Alley Fight
A verbal scuffle degenerated into a physical and bloody assault early the morning of May 26 at the bowling alley bar in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Council Strains to Live Within Its Means at Goal-Setting
The flush years over, the council is looking to set measurable goals that don’t cost too much money but still provide services residents are looking for.
Night-Stick, Taser and Punches in Foot-Chase Through P Section
Following a traffic stop, a sheriff’s deputy chased after Anthony Capitola on foot through the P section before subduing him with Taser shots.
Bunnell Approves Bypass Study as Part of Broader City Planning
Looking to capitalize on developers’ dollars funding the study, the Bunnell City Commission approved a broader look at the city’s road needs in the future.
FPC Commencement Stirs Tassels and Circumstance at Daytona’s Ocean Center
Anthony DeAugustino, Taylor Tofal and Brandon Dean headline Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Class of 2010’s commencement.